Peugeot has been selling cars since 1986. The company’s roots actually date back to a company that was founded in 1810 by the Peugeot family, but that’s a story for another day. In 1935, Peugeot first launched its 402 model. This was a large family car produced in Sochaux, France.
The 1938 Peugeot 402 Pourtout Darl’Mat Roadster was a very successful vehicle at the time, and the entire lineup ended up selling around 75,000 units over seven years. Its body is similar to the Chrysler Airflow and has a unique design thanks to its iconic grille and headlights. After World War II, the company shifted its focus to smaller cars, which is one of the reasons why the 402 was eventually discontinued.
1931 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS Touring Flying Star Spider
Alfa Romeo was founded in Italy back in 1910 and continues to make extraordinary vehicles even today. During the late ‘20s and early ‘30s, one of its most dominant vehicles was the powerful Alfa Romeo 6C. This was a very beloved and popular model, which caused the company to upgrade it even further. In 1931, Alfa Romeo came up with the 6C 1750 GS Touring Flying Star Spider, which ultimately became their fastest car of all time.
The 1750 GS managed to reach a top speed of almost one hundred miles per hour and had a supercharger option, which resulted in even more boost. The 6C lineup continued until 1954, and by then, its top speed actually peaked at 162 miles per hour. While these numbers don’t sound like much today, it’s hard to forget what an impact Alfa Romeo’s vehicles had on the auto market back then.
1930 Ruxton Model C Raunch and Lang Roadster
Ruxton was one of the world's first front-wheel-drive vehicles and was produced by the New Era Motors Company of New York during the late '20s. The main purpose behind the Ruxton was to turn its company into a household name. It was also produced alongside the Lang Roadster, a more family-friendly version of the vehicle.
New Era Motors ended up gaining a bit of fame before disappearing into nothingness, but it also managed to leave its mark with the iconic 1930 Ruxton Model C Rauch and Lang Roadster. The car had almost 100 units produced and is recognized as a Classic Car by the Classic Car Club of America.
1939 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Labourdette Vutotal Cabriolet
Considered the final large pre-war Rolls Royce, the 1939 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Labourdette Vutotal Cabriolet was truly the last remnant of an older generation. It was the last car that Henry Royce ever worked on, and had every bit of love poured into it as you'd expect from a Rolls Royce. The car featured an aluminum-alloy V12 pushrod engine and had a top speed of 87 miles per hour.
This was the company’s most prestigious car at the time, as just its body alone cost over $44,000. Just to make it clear, this amount of money is worth almost $800,000 when adjusted for today’s inflation. The Phantom III was extremely well received by consumers, who mostly had to admire it from a distance due to its exorbitant price.
1932 Chevy Moonlight Speedster
Chevy produced the 1932 Moonlight Speedster from 1931 to 1932 specifically for Australian markets and built this 2-door coupe to make them feel like they were riding a dingo or a lovely boat. This was quite far from the company’s all-American type of vehicles and proved to be quite an interesting bet.
The car featured an I6 engine and reached a max speed of just over 60 miles per hour. Its body was based on the 1929 Vauxhall Hurlingham and made entirely out of wood. This gave the vehicle a very unique look and feel but also made it much easier to break down over time. Just ten units were made of the Moonlight Speedster, and it was eventually discontinued.